PHILADELPHIA — A trip to the NFC Championship game is on the line with the Philadelphia Eagles and Los Angeles Rams meeting in the postseason for the first time in 23 years. Each team has been two of the recent Super Bowl representatives out of the NFC, but have yet to meet in the postseason with Nick Sirianni or Sean McVay as their respective head coaches.
Of course, the Eagles and Rams are two of the hottest teams in the NFC. The Eagles have won 13 of their last 14 games, averaging 28.5 points per contest and allowing just 15.0 points during their hot streak as arguably the best team in the NFL since their bye week (Week 5). The Rams have won 10 of their last 13, averaging 23.1 points per game during the stretch while allowing 8.3 points per game over their past four games.
Add in the potential of snow to the mix and this could be the most intriguing matchup of the weekend. As the Eagles and Rams get set to battle in the divisional round, here’s how to watch the game and a short preview of the showdown:
Eagles vs. Rams where to watch
Date: Sunday, Jan. 19 | Time: 3 p.m. ET
Location: Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia)
Channel: NBC | Stream: fuboTV (try for free)
Follow: CBS Sports App
Odds: Eagles -6, O/U 43.5
The weather forecast
Weather wasn’t a factor for this game until the past few days, as snow is significantly set to hit the Philadelphia region.
According to Weather Underground, the kickoff temperature is expected to be around 33 degrees, which would make it the second-coldest game the Eagles have hosted since the start of the 2022 season. There’s also a 99% chance of precipitation during the game, which means it’s a near certainty that snow will be falling.
The weather is expected to be so bad in Philadelphia on Sunday that the National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Warning with the city of Philadelphia right on the edge of the warning area.
Right now, the forecast is calling for five to seven inches of snow in Philadelphia on Sunday, according to the National Weather Service. However, that forecast covers the entire day. For the time between 3 p.m. ET and 6 p.m. ET, which would cover most of the game, the projection is that one to three inches will fall.
The Eagles play outdoors and this weather is atypical for January, although Philadelphia hasn’t experienced a playoff game during a snowstorm in decades. The Rams play in Los Angeles, a different climate that affects the indoor-outdoor SoFi Stadium. Snow isn’t typically in the Southern California forecast.
The weather is expected to resemble a winter wonderland, conditions the Eagles have been preparing for by practicing in the cold weather at Lincoln Financial Field all week.
Saquon Barkley — the sequel
The last time the Eagles faced the Rams in Week 12, Barkley had the biggest game of his career en route to his historic 2,000-yard season. The Rams run defense was no match for Barkley, as he rushed for 255 yards and two touchdowns — both 70+ yards — and averaged 9.8 yards per carry. The Eagles rushed for 314 yards and averaged 7.0 yards per carry, their highest total of the season, as their massive offensive line dominated the Rams’ small defensive line up front.
There is some good news for the Rams, if they look at history in their favor. Barkley is the eighth player in NFL history to rush for 200+ yards in a regular-season game against an opponent, and then face that same opponent in the playoffs. The previous seven players combined to average 43.0 rush yards in the playoff game, and none of them hit the 100-yard mark. Adrian Peterson was the closest to getting 100 yards, as he rushed for 99 against the Green Bay Packers in 2012 one week after rushing for 210 yards against them in the Minnesota Vikings‘ regular-season finale.
Barkley isn’t likely to rush for 200+ yards against the Rams defense again, but the Eagles still have that massive size advantage in the trenches.
Prediction
The Rams are a very dangerous team, especially the way Matthew Stafford has been playing of late. Stafford has 13 touchdowns to just one interception over his last seven games, having a 106.2 passer rating. Fortunately for the Eagles, jalen Hurts has just one interception over his last 12 games played.
The Eagles have the biggest advantage in the trenches, as their offensive line can wear down the Rams defensive line. Barkley could have another huge day running the football, but Hurts and the passing game will need to click early. If the Eagles can get the pass game going and not turn the ball over, they should win.
Pick: Eagles 34, Rams 21
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